On the day of its’ release, “What’s Next” debuted at #1 on US iTunes, #1 on US Spotify, #1 on Apple Music US and had over 360K first week US sales. “Wants and Needs” featuring Lil Baby is the second single from the three-track EP and it debuted at  #9 on US iTunes, #2 on US Spotify, #7 on Apple Music US and had over 305K first week US sales.  The third single from the EP is “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” featuring Rick Ross and it debuted #12 on US iTunes, #11 on US Spotify, #3 on Apple Music US and had over 230K first week US sales. 

On March 15, Drake made history by becoming the first music artist to occupy the top 5 spots on the Hot 100 Billboard charts. This is a major accomplishment; Drake is one of the three artists on the planet to ever have songs in the top three spots on the Hot 100 charts. “What’s Next” debuted at No.1, “Wants and Needs” featuring Lil Baby debuted at No.2 and “Lemon Pepper Freestyle” featuring Rick Ross debuted at No.3. “What’s Next” is Drake’s eighth number one on the Billboard Hot 100 charts and his twenty-fourth number one on the US iTunes charts. 

By looking at Drake’s stats, it’s obvious why his industry peers are delaying their projects and scared of what’s next to come. In just 10 days, Drake made history,  achieved over 895K pure sales and accumulated over 170 million streams. If Drake can make history in less than 20 days with a three-track EP, what do you think he can do with a full body of work? Scary sight isn’t it? While speaking on OVO Sound Radio, Drake mentioned that “Certified Lover Boy” is on the way stating that, “ I don’t have an exact date, but it’s in the pot and it’s coming soon.”

Enjoy ‘Scary Hours 2’ and stay tuned to see what Drake does next!

The post Drake Makes History With ‘Scary Hours 2’ EP appeared first on The Forum.

Heath’s extensive knowledge of astronomy has heightened by volunteering with the Jet Propulsion program at NASA, which explores the galaxy and it’s unexplained mysteries. 

Heath is a producer and host of the “The Night Sky,” which is a monthly program that Heath uses to connect the general public to the cosmos. Each episode of “The Night Sky” thoroughly explains the scientific and mythological meaning of the multiverse. Astrology plays a hidden role in our lives. Knowing about retrogrades and astrological placements can help you in ways you could never imagine. For instance, mercury retrograde involves the planet that governs communication and technology. Knowing about mercury retrograde would help all ����Vlog��ý Little Rock students be proactive and complete assignments, exams and projects early to avoid WiFi and computer glitches during mercury retrograde.

 As a communications major, I use mercury retrograde as a personal guide to know when not to verbally participate in discussions to avoid miscommunication and when to complete assignments early in case technical difficulties may occur.  Birth charts are important to know because they thoroughly explain each astrological placement, which helps you gain a better understanding of yourself. For example, my sun is in Taurus but my moon is in Aries. Because of my sun sign I am logical and analytical but another part of me is spontaneous and unpredictable because of my moon sign. You can learn a lot about yourself through these signs.

Astronomy is great for all ����Vlog��ý Little Rock students to learn because it allows the curious mind to ask questions about the world around them. You can join Heath and other avid astronomy buffs to discuss astrological events at the next Central Arkansas Astronomical Society meeting.

 Heath currently serves as the president and outreach chair at the Central Arkansas Astronomical Society. The CAAS offers affordable student memberships for ����Vlog��ý Little Rock Students, with rates starting at $7.50 per month. If you are interested in the “The Night Sky,” CAAS student memberships, mercury retrograde or astrological birth charts – check out the links below for further details.

The post Darrell Heath: Connecting To The Cosmos appeared first on The Forum.

St. Patrick’s Day is a popular legend about St. Patrick, a patron saint of Ireland who died on March 17th in the year 493. Legend says, St. Patrick rid Ireland of snakes and was a popular missionary that traveled north and west of Ireland. St. Patrick has been seen as a savior who brought good fortune to Ireland for centuries, which is why the St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock symbolism is associated with good luck. 

Franciscan Scholar, Luke Wadding, made certain that St. Patrick’s date of death would become a feast in the Catholic Church. Although it began in Ireland as a feast for St. Patrick’s death, St. Patrick’s Day is now a global festival that is also celebrated in Arkansas. The pot of gold at the end of Ireland’s rainbow is the Irish Culture Society of Arkansas (ICSA). The ICSA is a non-profit organization that provides Irish food, art, folklore festivals, and concerts of Irish music and dance. 

The Irish Culture Society of Arkansas is hosting its fun and free 21st Annual St.Patrick’s day parade at 1:00 P.M. on Saturday, March 13, 2022. The event will feature musical and dance performances, which will be like a breath of fresh air after being contained indoors due to COVID-19. If you need volunteer work experience to enhance your resume, good luck has bestowed upon you. The ICSA is looking for volunteers to assist with its annual parade such as float decorating, sound equipment set up, and much more. 

Don’t forget to order your green outfit for the 2022 St. Patrick’s Day parade in Little Rock! Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

The post St. Patrick’s Pot of Gold in Arkansas appeared first on The Forum.

While attending these virtual events, I realized that the topic of diversity has a lot more depth than I thought. After doing further research I discovered that there are many segments of diversity such as gender, religion and ethnicity. For instance, with transgender people feeling more comfortable as themselves, it has shifted the norm of gender identification around the world. A non-binary or transgender identification option will most likely become a permanent gender selection option on applications and legal documentation in the near future. 

Furthermore, there are many religions around the world that have different physical expressions of God. Some of these religions are Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, Yoruba, Santeria etc. Another person’s different version of God could be seen as the devil to another, which is why the diversity of religion is being revolutionized. The world is constantly evolving, making ethnic diversity a popular demand. Despite our different shades of skin tones, we are all human and breathe the same oxygen. In other words, all ethnics groups are diverse and have a unique history, nobody is better than the other. 

While the ����Vlog��ý Little Rock racial diversity is high, due to the absence of a non-binary or transgender selection option on ����Vlog��ýLR admission applications, the gender diversity is low. According to College Simply, ����Vlog��ýLR racial demographics are 52% White, 27% Black, 7% Hispanic, 2% Asian, 2% international and 9% two or more races. Whereas, the gender demographics at ����Vlog��ýLR are simply 62% women and 38% men. As I stated before, the world is rapidly evolving each decade. Therefore, there will most likely be an increase in ����Vlog��ýLR’s racial and gender demographics throughout the next few decades. 

����Vlog��ý Little Rock’s Diversity Council was established to make a change and create a diverse community on campus. It is interesting to know what the Diversity Council will do to expand diversity on campus for the next ten to twenty years. In addition, the Diversity Council has a “Live & Learn” series that addresses diversity topics. To share topics about diversity like religion or ethnicity, you must fill out a form online and the Diversity Council will contact you. Also, if you would like to become a member of the Diversity Council or want to nominate someone, the deadline to send a letter to the chancellor is April 1st.

Diversity Council Live and Learn Form

Office of chancellor contact information

Diversity Council

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Gone are the days of hustle and bustle on campus at the University of Arkansas Little Rock. COVID-19 precautions have limited campus activity in the name of safety, with entire offices working remotely from campus, and other employees being on a rotation; alternating when they are physically on campus versus working from home.

Sophomore Briana Graham remembers how full of life campus was last year.

“We had so many events going, we had so many people just sitting in the foyer of the cafeteria with tables set up, encouraging people to interact. Being on campus gave you that opportunity to see what our school is all about! Due to it being so empty, many people are not able to see our school’s full potential,” Graham said.

The emptiness of campus has had an impact on the students who live here. Dining hours have been shortened, access to the library has decreased as entire floors and study rooms have closed, health and wellness visits are mostly virtual. Aside from trying to make life during a pandemic work, students who live on campus have had to figure out how to be safe and navigate a drastically changed environment.

That adjustment began on day one. Move-in day is usually a large event crowded with volunteers from campus organizations and eager students ready to get into their rooms and get settled. Parents and family members embrace their students and bid them a good semester in group hugs.

2020 move-in day was actually a move-in week, and students were only able to bring two people to help them move in. They signed up for an arrival time based on which residence hall they would be occupying, and had to pass an online COVID-19 screening and temperature check to begin moving in. 

The experience of the day was condensed into two-hour appointments filled with masks and face shields amongst Resident Assistants, and the smell of disinfectant spray and bleach wafted through the halls as students found their new rooms and wanted to assure themselves that everything was clean. 

Sophomore Caroline Holt, felt rushed during the process.

“Move-in day this year in a way was harder than my freshman year,” Holt said. “My parents had to leave by 5 and I was not even close to being completed with my room when they had to leave.”

Cleaning shared spaces was a challenge for Holt and her roommates.

“It was way more stressful as well because our shared spaces and bathrooms were not clean at all,” Holt said. “We had some things left in our apartment from the students before us, like socks in the dryer and even a knife in one of the cabinets by the sink. I was really hoping that campus would keep their word that they would have our apartment clean. But when we were finding stuff that belonged to the [residents] before us, it showed me that campus didn’t clean like they said they would. My mom actually sanitized both bathrooms along with my other roommate’s mom.”

The difficulty of roommates being exposed to COVID-19 also presented a problem. Roommates needed to keep open and honest communication with each other so they knew if they needed to go get tested or not.

West Hall, which houses freshmen, mitigated this problem by assigning one person per room, when each room is usually occupied by two students. Campus Living trained RAs for weeks before the arrival of students. They met in mixed environments, both in person and online, in order to learn the new protocols and paperwork. The new rules were hammered into their brains. Outside visitors who do not live on campus are not allowed in the residence halls. Masks must be worn at all times outside of each person’s room. Only two people are allowed to ride the elevator at once. Specific rooms are purposely left empty for students who need to quarantine. Meals must be delivered to students in quarantine. 

The ‘normal’ tasks of an RA became increasingly harder. They usually have a floor meeting during the first week of classes in order to establish rapport with their residents and give the building a sense of home and companionship. These floor meetings continue through the semester as necessary. With COVID-19, these mandatory meetings were held over Zoom, with minimal attendance. RAs host programs each month in order to continue the feeling of camaraderie amongst their residents. Programs that brought students together and created new friendships are now held over Zoom, where it’s difficult to connect with specific individuals and everything becomes much more group-oriented.

“We don’t get to have in person programs or do room occupancy checks. A lot of people aren’t moving in and out of the residence halls like they used to, so it’s difficult to form relationships with residents,” said Caleb McConnell, a South Hall RA.

Participation is decreasing. Students are not able to build that network around them that they need to be successful. Does this affect their performance in class? Their involvement on campus? How do they build meaningful relationships with peers through a computer screen? Freshmen who live in West Hall are not able to make use of common areas, which includes a kitchen. So far, the Office of Campus Living’s efforts have paid off. While other universities saw case numbers soar into the hundreds, the University of Arkansas Little Rock has reported a total of less than 200 on-campus student cases since March of 2020.

The conditions that have changed residence hall life might not be ideal, but they are serving their purpose. With the university wanting to return to normal in the upcoming fall semester and wanting more in-person events, students are left wondering how many more times they will have to adjust.

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Christopher Williams, an Assistant Professor of Political Science here at ����Vlog��ý Little Rock who specializes in elections, public opinion and democratic governance, says that Biden’s win was “absolutely” historic.

“It represents a clear break from the often radical-right and anti-system policies of Trump,” he said. “The election of Joe Biden likely means a return to the existing global order. At the domestic level, we can expect to see major differences in immigration policy, education policy, tax policy, environmental policy, trade policy, etc.”

Drew Martin, the chair of the ����Vlog��ý Little Rock College Republicans Chapter, says that the Presidential race is not quite over yet, and points locally to why there should be some concern with the projected results.

“Fraud and incompetence in elections are always a concern,” he said. “Locally we know that 327 ballots were counted in Pulaski County that should not have been. The director of elections (Bryan Poe) admits that, and two house races have margins well within these bounds.”

Martin is referring to 327 absentee ballots in Pulaski County that had been disqualified accidentally being included with absentee ballots when being added to unofficial totals.

“The problem with proving these cases in court is the necessity of a paper trail, and we have not clearly seen that in many of the states where Joe Biden maintains slim leads,” Martin said. “There is a constitutional question at play in Pennsylvania as it relates to segregated ballots. I do believe though that President Trump’s case will and should have its time in court so the Judicial Branch can make its decision.”

Williams disagrees with Martin, Trump and many Republicans claiming fraud, saying that there is a slim chance this election was fraudulent.

Fraud or not, Martin says that Biden’s win isn’t as victorious as many might think.

“There is still the decision to be held in the judicial branch; but make no mistake about the results of the election: this was not a Biden mandate,” he said. “We were told across the country that Joe Biden would win in a landslide with coattails electing many more Democrats to the Senate and House, and that simply is not the case.”

Currently, President Trump still has not conceded the election, which Williams says will have both short term and long term effects.

“The short term regards the outcome of this specific election,” he said. “In reality, Trump refusing to concede will likely have little effect on the outcome of this election. On Dec. 14, the electors will meet and elect Joe Biden, this will be certified by Congress and on Jan. 20, 2021, Joe Biden will become President. If Trump refuses to leave, he will likely be escorted out of the White House by the Secret Service.”

Williams says that the long term effects of President Trump not conceding may have large effects on the health of American democracy.

“Democracy only survives when elites (e.g. candidates, parties, media, etc.) agree to the rules of the game,” he said. “They drive the public in accepting the outcome of elections and the peaceful transfer of power, which are imperative for democracy. Trump and others in the Republican Party undermining this election leads to many in the public believing the election was not legitimate, which makes them more likely to believe that future elections are not legitimate. It also increases the likelihood of violence.”

Williams and Martin both agree that this election has caused the country to become even more divided than before.

“I think what you see is a country that is divided ideologically,” Martin said. “There is so much more that unites us, but you would not know that from looking at the election results. For now, I think we (the Republican Party) need to focus on the two senate runoffs in Georgia, so that we preserve the Republican Senate.”

Martin is referring to the two runoff elections in Georgia, between current Republican Senator David Perdue against Democratic challenger Jon Ossoff and current Republican Senator Kelly Loeffler against Democrat challenger Rev. Raphael Warnock, which both Martin and Williams agree will have a major impact on the outcome of the election as Democrats need to win both these races in order to gain control of the Senate.

“Changes under the Biden administration will, in part, be determined by the outcome of the two Senate races in Georgia,” Williams said. “If the Democrats lose at least one of those seats, the Republicans will control the Senate, and that significantly restricts what Biden can get done as he won’t have unified government.”

Even if Republicans don’t have a substantial victory in the federal elections, Martin points out that they did have some here in the state of Arkansas.

“We here in Arkansas had a fantastic night for Republicans,” he said. “We re-elected Congressman French Hill by double digits and we expanded our majorities in the state house and senate by multiple seats each. This state ‘Democratic’ up and down the ballot a decade ago, but the Democratic Party of Arkansas has essentially given up on the working people in this state, not even contesting many races and sometimes running half-hearted campaigns. I believe the Republican Party of Arkansas is ready for the years ahead, and the Democrats have a lot of soul searching to do.”

In the federal government, Williams says that a lot of changes may come under the Biden administration as opposed to the previous one, even if he doesn’t have a unified government.

“Under all conditions, I expect the U.S to immediately rejoin the Paris [Climate] Accord,” Williams said. “I also expect Biden to reinstitute DACA. If Biden doesn’t enjoy unified government, he will also likely use an Executive Order to cancel substantial student loan debt. If he does enjoy a unified government, I expect student loan debt will be cancelled through legislative means along with a repeal of parts of the Trump tax cut. Further, I would expect some movement on passing a Voting Rights Act and even statehood for Washington, D.C.”

Martin, however, says that there is a real concern about Biden’s lack of vision from a legislative standpoint.

“Biden’s initial moves post-election give the appearance that he will govern much the same as his former boss, President Barack Obama,” he said. “However, he has no clear vision, no clear agenda, no clear first move. I believe that concerned many voters who saw him as a Trojan horse for leftist ideology, which you will see a hard push from the far left of the Democrat party to influence the Biden Administration.”

Martin says that the Biden Administration will be a huge contrast from Trump’s four years in office from an accomplishment perspective.

“The Trump Administration, whether you liked the bluster or not, was filled with accomplishments,” he said. “Record low unemployment for Americans of all backgrounds, an American-centered foreign policy where we kept our word to our allies, criminal justice reform, circuit and Supreme Court judges who embrace the Constitution, and historic funding for HBCU’s (Historically Black Colleges and Universities). I expect the Biden years to be quiet and to honestly pass no major legislation, instead, relying on executive orders to put together whatever they can deem as satisfactory. The Biden years will be quieter, but they also will not deliver results for the American people.”

Whatever the results of the election might be, it was a historic win for all Americans when it comes to engagement and voter turnout as we saw the highest percentage of eligible voters vote since the election of 1900 with both Biden and Trump breaking the record for most votes for an individual candidate (formerly held by Obama in 2008).

“Voter turnout was exceptionally high, but what is interesting is that it was high on both the right and the left,” Williams said. “Republicans turned out in huge numbers, with Democrats showing up in even greater numbers. On the Democratic side, this comes down to anger with Trump’s policies, Trump’s mismanagement of the pandemic, and an extensive Democratic organization, led by people like Stacey Abrams in Georgia, encouraging voter turnout. On the Republican side, it appears that a substantial amount of the voter turnout was driven by Trump himself. In 2018, Democrats in statewide races did better in almost every swing state than Joe Biden did. This is because Republican turnout was substantially lower in 2018 than in 2020. This indicates that Trump brought a huge number of Republican voters to the polls.”

Martin on the other hand points to social media as another factor in why voter turnout was so high in this election.

“Politics continues to consume more and more of our lives as we continue to consume more of it,” he said. “Nobody could open Facebook or Instagram without constant reminders about voting. Every celebrity, from Youtube stars to Hollywood A-listers, repeatedly hit voters with the same reminders.”

Martin, like Williams, also points to events of 2020 as major factors as well.

“We also cannot take COVID out of the picture,” Martin said. “We saw during the George Floyd protests during the summer that being socially distanced for long periods of time spurs people to get outside and to become involved in causes they care about, on both sides. Campaigns also continue to reinvent the wheel on get out the vote efforts, making use of increased absentee voting among other items.”

The Forum reached out to the ����Vlog��ý Little Rock College Democrats Chapter for comment but did not get a response.

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Watkins moved to Los Angeles, California in 2016 to pursue her music career. While living in LA, Watkins gained a new support system and better opportunities. When Watkins isn’t recording or performing, she’s a humanitarian. Watkins “Glow Movement” is a non-profit organization that encourages people to excel in life and become their best selves. Having a positive platform is one of the reasons why Watkins has gained a large support system throughout the years. The path she took could inspire other Arkansas musicians who want to expand their horizons.

Madison Watkins can’t be labeled as just a singer, she can also play the piano, guitar, reach high notes and dance. To get her name out, Watkins released song covers on YouTube to hits like “Light up the Sky” by Christina Aguilera and “Hold On, We’re Going Home” by Drake. After a couple of years, Watkins signed with Mad Wat Productions, surpassing all expectations placed upon her. 

In March 2016, Watkins released her first EP “Glow,” which reached the top 20 album chart on iTunes. In July, Watkins made her first appearance on season 11 of “America’s Got Talent.” Watkins received a standing ovation after her “Let It Go” performance by James Bay. Although she didn’t make it to the quarter-finals, Watkins did not give up on her music career. In April 2017, Watkins performed the national anthem at the LA Clippers playoffs. In 2018 and 2019, Watkins released music videos to her notable singles “Movin,” “Crazy,” and “Curls,” gaining over 10,000 views per video. 

Madison Watkins released her most recent EP “Rooted,” Sept. 25, 2020. On Oct. 4, Watkins released the music video to her new single “Worthy,” which has accumulated over 2,000 views despite COVID-19. Watkins has made many achievements throughout her career. Notably, during the pandemic, Watkins has been working on new music and new content for social media platforms like TikTok and YouTube. To stay updated, follow Watkins on Instagram at Madison Watkins.

The post Artist Spotlight: Madison Watkins appeared first on The Forum.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has canceled numerous sports games in the past seven months, pool closures left swimming and diving teams across the nation with very little options for practices and meets.

The pool closures for the spring and most of the summer forced Amy Burgess, the ����Vlog��ý Little Rock Head Swimming & Diving coach, to come up with new ways for the team to stay in shape during the off season.

“Though some sports were able to continue training on their own during the spring and summer, pools remained closed for most of the spring and early summer so our training was done out of the water, which as you can imagine is not quite the same,” she said.

Burgess made the team workout outside of the water with weights and running, aka “dryland,” and although they are allowed in the water now, there are still some restrictions the team has in place.

“We are keeping roommates together during most practices, wearing masks in the weight room and alternating which side of the pool each lane trains in to keep distance between everyone,” Burgess said.

With most of the team back home after ����Vlog��ý Little Rock closed its campus on March 12, the team had to do their workouts all on their own, including senior Lily Kerr who had to go back to her home in South Carolina.

“I didn’t have access to a pool because the majority of facilities were mandated to close,” Kerr said. “As a result of this during the spring I did a lot of dryland workouts and did interval-based running to maintain my endurance as I am a distance swimmer.”

The time out of the water was difficult for Kerr since swimming helps her cope during stressful times, especially in the middle of a global pandemic.

“Swimming has always been something I can turn to take my mind off of other aspects of my daily life and it is an activity I truly enjoy doing,” she said. “It was very hard mentally to not be able to participate in the sport that I love. I think the biggest challenge for myself and the team as a whole during the pandemic is not having access to a pool.”

However, luckily enough for Kerr, the pools in South Carolina opened back up in May, allowing her to practice with her former club team after two months out of the water.

“Being able to get in the water was something I was very fortunate to participate in as many of my teammates were not able to practice whatsoever,” she said. “It was very difficult to be out of the water for two months because that is the longest I have ever gone without swimming before.”

Not all of Kerr’s teammates were as lucky as her, including sophomore Sylvia Shaw, who had a difficult time finding an open pool in her home state of Oklahoma.

“I’m from a non-swim state, so there aren’t very many options for club teams or pools,” she said. “My state went into a two-month lockdown and I wasn’t able to swim at all for that time. Even when the lockdown was lifted, the pool still remained closed for maintenance purposes. That meant I had to find other ways to get cardio in so I wouldn’t lose everything.”

While Shaw was able to do her dryland workouts, it wasn’t the same as being able to practice in the water.

“As a swimmer, running is a lot harder and doesn’t have the same muscle focus so it’s nowhere near as beneficial as getting actual pool time,” she said.

According to both Shaw and Kerr, any significant time out of water can have a huge impact on a swimmer’s performance.

“Swimming is different from any other sport for the reasoning that if you take any amount of time off you can start to lose the feel of the water very quickly,” Kerr said. “I was told as a club swimmer that for every day out of the pool it takes two days to get back to where you were as a swimmer. As a result of this, I think it was really difficult for the team to start to get back to the mental and physical standpoint that we were in before the pandemic occurred.”

The amount of time Shaw spent out of the water, she says, definitely had a huge impact on her both psychically and emotionally.

“It was discouraging hearing about other teammates who got to practice on a regular schedule or at least three times a week because I felt really behind,” Shaw said. “I didn’t get in a pool until the end of June and I felt super rusty. Even when I did get in the pool I only could swim one to two times a week or biweekly.”

Even with the school year beginning, Shaw’s luck still seems to keep going south.

“The ����Vlog��ý Little Rock pool had maintenance issues when we first got back to school so we still haven’t had a normal practice schedule,” she said. “For the past month we’ve been going to other pools or doing dryland to try and keep in shape. I’m nowhere near the shape I was this time last year but I should bounce back pretty fast.”

The pandemic has also had an impact on the meet schedule for the team. The team’s season usually begins in late September or early October, but due to the pandemic, it got shifted to January 2021 with their conference championship moving to April instead of February.

“We are still working on final details for a schedule,” Burgess said. “We will not compete in as many dual meets as we normally do. Moving our season allows us more time to train as a team and get everyone back in competitive shape.”

Kerr says that the season change not only allowed for the girls to focus more on their technique and strength work training during the offseason, which helped the girls become psychically stronger in and out of the pool, but also helped their bonds become stronger as well.

“The change in when our season occurs has allowed the team to have more time to get to know each other as we have been able to take part in events outside of the pool to better understand our teammates,” she said.

One of the more memorable events put on by the team was a socially distant canoe trip down the Caddo River in southwest Arkansas.

“The beginning of the year is always a time we focus on growing and developing as a team so incorporating the new with the returners and COVID-19 put a new challenge on getting together,” Burgess said. “We brainstormed as a staff to see what we could do and landed on a canoe trip down the Caddo River.”

All the swimmers, including Burgess, say that the canoe trip was a huge success.

“It was a great way to keep our distance but also work together as we navigated the chilly waters,” Burgess said. “It was many people’s first time and great to see them work together and improve as they made their way down.”

The bonding was especially important as the team saw 12 new freshmen girls get added to the 2020-2021 roster, which presented another hurdle for Burgess as a coach during the pandemic.

“Having a few more on the team creates a few more challenges during this time,” she said. “However, we are so fortunate that our aquatic facility allows us to easily space out. The weight room is where things get tight and we have had to create more groups than normal. It is sort of like putting a giant puzzle together, but everyone including the freshmen have been very fluid though everything. We were all so excited to be back together and start training as a team that it makes it all worthwhile.”

Kerr says that the freshmen are more than welcomed editions to the Trojan Swimming & Diving team.

“This new group of girls have already made a significant impact on our team and I am so excited to see how their contributions can help us to grow as a team this season,” Kerr said. “The team is working hard both in and out of the classroom and we are very excited and eager for in-season practices and meets to begin in January.”

The post Swimming and Diving faced with an upstream battle during COVID-19 appeared first on The Forum.

Stone is a star instructor for “Dancing With Our Stars,” which is Arkansas chapters’ largest fundraising event that helps raise funds for children diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis (NF), a genetic disorder that causes tumors to form on nerve tissue.

Professor Stone has participated in “Dancing With Our Stars” for 3 years. In 2018 and 2019, Stone partnered with ����Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate students, Anthony Bryant and Victoria Vender. This year, Stone began the new decade with a new dance partner, Elicia Dover from KATVs “Good Morning America”. During his performance at the “Dancing With Our Stars Reimagined 2020” virtual event, Stone and Dover entertained viewers with an amazing tribute to a Hollywood golden era musical.

“The reason why we chose this song is because the message is so positive that we want to put out into the world,” said Stone.

In the early 1980s, while attending Laurinburg High School in North Carolina, Stone studied jazz and developed an interest in musicals. Shelby Hasty, Stone’s first dance teacher, gave him a chance of a lifetime. Hasty was impressed by Stones talent while attending one of his high school’s musical. During that time, Hasty offered Stone two months free dance lessons at the local dance studio in North Carolina. While dancing those two months, Stone advanced in jazz and tap dance.

Although Professor Stone majored in math and science at the University of North Carolina, he never gave up on dance. During a calculus exam, Stone made a decision that changed his life and led him to become who he is today. After turning in the calculus exam and walking to the register office to change his major to dance and performance, Stone began taking ballet classes and never looked back again.

Performing and dancing means a lot more to Professor Stone than most people, it’s his specialty. Stone considers dance a diverse entity, dance can be considered art, entertainment, or ceremonial. Even though Stone values all types of dancing, his top three that he holds close to heart are ballet, musical theater, and symphony.

Stephen Stone is a performer who expresses himself through dance, which is why “Dancing With Our Stars” sparked his interest. Being able to entertain while serving an important cause and learning more about how to help children diagnosed with NF, is what Stone values the most about his experience as a star instructor for “Dancing With Our Stars.”

The actor, singer, professor, choreographer, and musical director Stephen Stone, is an inspiration to all ����Vlog��ý Little Rock students transitioning between a college major change while still trying to find their true purpose in life. Stone’s life story is an example that dreams can come true and that you can also live your dream while doing great things for others in need.

“If you follow your heart, everything will fall into alignment,” Stone said.

The post Professor Stone: The Dancing Star appeared first on The Forum.

The forum aims to enhance equality and inclusion on campus through thoughtful and constructive dialogue from students, staff and faculty.

There was a Student Forum on Race and Ethnicity on Sept. 9 that lasted about an hour and thirty minutes. The forum’s format was webinar styled, so everyone’s cameras besides Chancellor Drale’s and a set of panelists were unavailable. The panelists included Dr. Mia Phillips, the Director of Student Experience and Inclusion Programs, Sharon Downs, the assistant Vice Chancellor for Wellness and Inclusion, and Chair of the Diversity Council. The panelists on the forum also included Lauren Wilson, a graduate assistant in the Multicultural Center and an American Sign Language interpreter.

The students were able to ask questions and share their thoughts through the chatbox on Zoom. Wilson would check the chatbox for questions and comments and relay them back to Chancellor Drale and the other panelists.

At the beginning of the discussion, Drale mentioned that the university would be relaunching the Multicultural Center on campus.

“We are going to locate that Multicultural Center in Ottenheimer Library,” she said.

Wilson was one of the first participants to propose a question to Drale.

“How will you specifically be working to ensure these effects last beyond your term as a chancellor or beyond this time where it’s being publicized in the news and being talked about globally?” she asked.

Chancellor Drale acknowledged the fact that these systematic racial issues will be long-lasting and will take time for improvement to be noticed.

“Those are things that are not just ‘oh we’re going to talk about it and do a discussion today then a year from now nothing has changed or we’ve forgotten everything that we determined was important,” she said.

Drale said that one way to combat the issue is to start with its roots and address those problems first.

“These issues didn’t form overnight,” she said. “They won’t be solved overnight either.”

Drale also mentioned that establishing a standing committee whose purpose is to continuously examine how racial issues would be a good place to start.

“By doing that, we can have a better chance of addressing those systemic problems that need to be acknowledged,” she said.

Landon Dekay, the Student Government Association (SGA) president, asked if it would be in the interest of the University to make African American history a core requirement for graduation.

“It would probably be a good thing,” Drale said. “The problem is that the curriculum is the purview of the faculty, so it’s not something a chancellor can dictate. However, one of the things I think that has been a positive aspect of this discussion is that faculty, chairs, and deans want to promote their courses that are already available to students about this topic. They want to encourage not only students to sign up, but for the faculty and staff to audit them.”

Another student asked about the National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), a council that consists of nine predominantly Black sororities and fraternities, and if it was possible if the NPHC could have their own spot on campus that could be used for events once deemed acceptable by the university.

Phillips stated that they have been working on this long-standing issue.

“This issue has been present since I’ve been at the university,” Phillips said. “We recognize that their is not fair treatment as far as space and reservations for events for Greek organizations. However, each organization is important and valuable to the university, and we will continue to fully combat this issue.”

More Forums like these will appear throughout the school year.

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